Splits:

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus

A long-anticipated split, the Old World Kentish Plover has never been recorded in North America, but has the potential to do so. The two species have always gone by different English names, which remain the same, but the scientific name of Snowy Plover changes to distinguish it from Kentish.

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata

Old World Common Moorhen is distinguished from New World populations by voice and by subtle differences in appearance and the English and scientific names of the North American birds change (see my posts on identification here and here). One record from the Aleutian Islands in fall 2010, if confirmed, will be North America’s first Common Moorhen, adding a new species.

Transvolcanic Jay Aphelocoma ultramarina

Mexican Jay Aphelocoma wollweberi

The population of Mexican Jay in the southern highlands of Mexico (not recorded in our area) is now split as a new species and takes the existing scientific name A. ultramarina. This requires the northern population to take a new scientific name, although retaining the current English name.

Changes to species names:

Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia

formerly Oporornis philadelphia

MacGillivray’s WarblerGeothlypis tolmiei

formerly Oporornis tolmiei

Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosa

formerly Oporornis formosus [note change in spelling of species name]

Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina

formerly Wilsonia citrina

Kirtland’s WarblerSetophaga kirtlandii

formerly Dendroica kirtlandii

Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrina

formerly Dendroica tigrina

Cerulean WarblerSetophaga cerulea

formerly Dendroica cerulea

Northern ParulaSetophaga americana

formerly Parula americana

Tropical ParulaSetophaga pitiayumi

formerly Parula pitiayumi

Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia

formerly Dendroica magnolia

Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea

formerly Dendroica castanea

Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca

formerly Dendroica fusca

Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia

formerly Dendroica petechia

Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica

formerly Dendroica pensylvanica

Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striata

formerly Dendroica striata

Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens

formerly Dendroica caerulescens

Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum

formerly Dendroica palmarum

Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus

formerly Dendroica pinus

Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata

formerly Dendroica coronata

Yellow-throated WarblerSetophaga dominica

formerly Dendroica dominica

Prairie WarblerSetophaga discolor

formerly Dendroica discolor

Grace’s WarblerSetophaga graciae

formerly Dendroica graciae

Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens

formerly Dendroica nigrescens

Townsend’s WarblerSetophaga townsendi

formerly Dendroica townsendi

Hermit WarblerSetophaga occidentalis

formerly Dendroica occidentalis

Golden-cheeked WarblerSetophaga chrysoparia

formerly Dendroica chrysoparia

Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens

formerly Dendroica virens

Fan-tailed WarblerBasileuterus lachrymosus

formerly Euthlypis lachrymosa [note change in spelling of species name]

Canada WarblerCardellina canadensis

formerly Wilsonia canadensis

Wilson’s WarblerCardellina pusilla

formerly Wilsonia pusilla

In higher-level changes, Tityras and Becards are moved into the new family Tityridae, and Bluethroat (and relatives), Wheatear, and Stonechat are moved from the family Turdidae to the family Muscicapidae.

Related posts and pages:

Obsolete Bird Names Have you seen any Field Plovers lately? Blue Nutcrackers? Day Owls? These are all alternate...

I think Patti does not know that the taxon Species is a binomial that consists of both the Generic Name or Genus AND the Specific Epithet or Specific Name. Like too many people, even including some persons who have a Ph.D. in a scientific field, she seems to believe that the taxon Species is the same as Specific Epithet or Specific Name.

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[…] From what I can gather, there is some disagreement among bird authorities as to what kind of taxonomic lumping and splitting should be done in relation to the birds found in the New World and the Old World (their […]